Load 16 Tons and Whadda Ya Get?

[portiaeins.livejournal.com]

First of all, thanks to everyone for the wonderful responses to all my posts; this journal is great all around for learning about the cream of the crop fic, and I am so grateful to have been pointed here!

Now, on to my request: I would love to read some stories where Rodney really starts to feel the pressure of so many people's expectations, of so many high-expectations.  Both in the show and in fic, Rodney always seems to be put on the spot to fix the problem, to come up with the answer, and all of it "snap, snap."  I think he's up to the challenge and often relishes it, but I figure it would have to wear on a guy at some point or sometimes....  Along with this idea would be fics were Rodney is overworked because everyone expects him to get the job done or where he has to wear too many  hats, etc.  A plus would be stories where, no matter what the pressure or cost, Rodney still gets the job done (yeah, I wuv him -- it's just so damn sappy).   :o)

I would perfer slash (McShep) or gen, and however bad things get, I really like happy endings, please! 

Thanks again!
Portia

Comments

[jolielaide.livejournal.com]

I'm sorry I don't have any recs for you, but I totally second this request. The last couple of eps have been driving me crazy, with Sheppard constantly yelling at Rodney to solve whatever problem they've encountered. I'm feeling bad for the guy!

[synekdokee.livejournal.com]

Same here. Especially since not only does everyone take Rodney's genius for granted, they actually bitch at him for being too slow :D And yeah, I know, usually they're probably a little stressed because, you know, they're about to die, but still.

[kirinin.livejournal.com]

Ditto! It seems crazy how Sheppard is always like, "fix that yesterday, Rodney" when *no one* knows what the heck is going on!

-K

[linziday.livejournal.com]

Agreed!

[eccentricweft.livejournal.com]

You might want to try Lacey McBain's No More Dreadful Punishment" (http://www.stickymanpress.mediawood.net/nomoredreadful.html) although the happy ending is implicit, at best. At the moment of the story things are quite unhappy, but there's the expectation that Rodney will get help. (Hope that's not too spoilery, but wanted to be clear that the ending isn't quite what you specified. It's a good story, though!)

[portiaeins.livejournal.com]

SOB! Very good!

[trish51.livejournal.com]

You could try The Last Cup Of Coffee by cats_bum1 here http://www.area52hkh.net/asc/cbum1/coffee.php . Must warn you though that it has a bit of Sheppard bashing.

[kirinin.livejournal.com]

There are really quite a few of these.

I have a link on my delicious acc't called 'outside his bailiwick', which actually has its origins here on genrefinders (http://community.livejournal.com/sgagenrefinders/217487.html). In these stories, Rodney is faced with a situation that is outside his usual sphere of control - such as command of Atlantis - and pulls through anyway.

The quintessential such fic, methinks, is probably shallot's Transcendental (http://www.intimations.org/fanfic/stargate/transcendental.html"), in which a sarin gas exposure leaves Dr. Weir incapacitated, and Rodney running the show. Rodney immediately and unequivocally takes control, through innovation and by bulldozing over anybody who disagrees. A benevolent dictatorship is the result. Best Genii-baiting ever, essentially McShep (graphic) in nature, Rodney definitely feeling the pressure. For something similar but in a darker vein, try All the Things Rodney Never Was (http://sardonicsmiley.livejournal.com/36940.html?view=1673548#t1673548), by sardonicsmiley; it might be more along the lines of what you're looking for, because we definitely see more of Rodney's struggle here than elsewhere, and he's kind of losing it throughout. Also? Pretty much everything by ss rocks hard. :) There's another fic by ss called Situation Normal All Fucked Up (http://sardonicsmiley.livejournal.com/32000.html): 'A finger every hour', John's captors say, and on hour one, they deliver. Rodney goes to extreme lengths to retrieve him.

I just read Auburn's excellent and heartbreaking Legion the Things I Would Give to Oblivion (http://www.eternalvox.net/~auburn/LegionOblivion.html), in which both John AND Rodney are overwhelmed by duty and impossible odds. But seriously, dark? And hankies, remember the hankies. ;)

There is also *numerous* fic on my theybrokeRodney! (http://delicious.com/Kirinin/theybrokeRodney%21%20) tag... but here are several of those that seem to fit your request:

In Mithreon's Sandstorms (http://mithreon.livejournal.com/9418.html) series, Rodney is Shunned following the usual Arcturs/Doranda blah-blah. People begin asking unreasonable things from him and he drifts apart from his team. The whumpage is pretty severe here, however, and *not* for the faint of heart.

There are a handful of stories in which Rodney attempts to augment his intellect, Flowers-for-Algernon style. Needless to say, this is due to the Pressure, and needless to say, it does not go well. These include Rheana's Theory of Everything (http://rheanna27.livejournal.com/68371.html") as well as The Future of Happiness and Rodney McKay (http://mklutz.livejournal.com/tag/future+of+happiness).

In Games of Chance (http://community.livejournal.com/sga_flashfic/714861.html), Rodney feels the pressure to save John's life and uses a VR device to continually play out scenarios, each one grimmer than the last. Downward-spiral-y.

I second the rec for 'No More Dreadful Punishment' - it's probably just what you're looking for.

There are a few fics based around Rodney working himself into exhaustion and near-collapse/insanity... This includes 264 Hours (http://community.livejournal.com/sga_flashfic/358631.html), a post-Siege fic where Rodney feels responsible for John's almost-death; and Burnout (http://www.ltljverse.com/watergate/stories/burnout.htm), in which Rodney, after being captive on the Wraith ship, then working against the clock to make sure they don't run out of oxygen, loses it a bit.

Happy reading! :)

-K

[kirinin.livejournal.com]

Eek! I just re-read your post, and happy endings? Er...

Please remove:
Legion the Things I Would Give to Oblivion. There's no way that ending can be classified as 'happy'.

*the Future of Happiness* does not end either happily OR sadly. To say more would invite spoilers.

the Theory of Everything (http://rheanna27.livejournal.com/68371.html) original link doesn't look like it's working, so here it is again. It does end happily, though. :)

Many of these stories are dark, but the rest have hopeful/positive endings.

-K

[portiaeins.livejournal.com]

You know, I ended reading almost all of your recs, and they were VERY good -- you have great taste; thank you!

[kirinin.livejournal.com]

You are most welcome! :)

-K

[portiaeins.livejournal.com]

Soooo...I'm going to be away reading for about 10 years, if you guys wonder where I am.... "g"

Yippee! Thanks for the bunches of fic! More welcome, too! Keep 'em coming. ;o)

[raphe1.livejournal.com]

Hmmm, this might fit . . . Good story too!

Five Impossible Things Rodney McKay Did Before Breakfast By Lacey McBain


http://www.stickymanpress.mediawood.net/fiveimpossiblethings.html

[entropynchaos.livejournal.com]

There's Taking the Long Way Home (http://sardonicsmiley.livejournal.com/39997.html) by sardonicsmiley - It starts with the fortune cookies, spilt soup, and more Johns than Rodney can shake a stick at. Or maybe that’s how it ends. It's a little angsty, but it does have a happy ending, I promise!

There's also Rebuilding Babel (http://fiercelydreamed.talkoncorners.net/main/archives/stargate-atlantis/rebuilding-babel/) by Fiercely Dreamed - He wondered if this was how it felt to go crazy — you didn’t lose your mind, it just stopped synching up with the world around you. More angsty, but very McShep-y sweet.

And perhaps Messages From the Edge of Oblivion (http://sardonicsmiley.livejournal.com/32426.html) by sardonicsmiley - No one thought much about the black hole out past P33-23R, until the IOA insisted they research it. John’s starting to think he liked it better when they had no contact with Earth. McKay does kinda snap, but he still pulls everyone though, and you really only see the after-effects of the snapping anyway. It's still quite good, though.

Hope that helped! ^_^

[entropynchaos.livejournal.com]

Possibly also Cases of Mistaken Identity (http://sardonicsmiley.livejournal.com/31427.html) by sardonicsmiley - He’d really expected them to believe him when he explained that he wasn’t Rodney McKay, and that in fact, being accused of being Rodney McKay was one of the most ridiculous things he’d ever heard. They hadn’t. But he’d expected them to. AKA John finds out just how hard it is to be McKay.

And Three Times Rodney McKay had a Superpower... (http://sardonicsmiley.livejournal.com/27051.html), also by sardonicsmiley (can you tell I adore the sweetheart? ^_^ ) - What it all adds up to is four times John thought he was going to lose Rodney. Or: Rodney succeeds, even when superpowers are probably more of a hinderance than a help.

Rodney fights the galaxy in Pilgrim's Progress (http://sardonicsmiley.livejournal.com/44403.html) by sardonicsmiley, and still wins.

Maybe also Not the Fine Man You Take Me For (http://sardonicsmiley.livejournal.com/54190.html) by sardonicsmiley where Rodney finds...creative solutions to problems.

And finally - Permutationality (http://sardonicsmiley.livejournal.com/62850.html) by sardonicsmiley - where Rodney can think his way through anything, even a Wraith Hive ship.

Again, hope that helped! ^_^

[portiaeins.livejournal.com]

I could be wrong...I was just wondering...do you like sardonicsmiley? ;op

I do too!!

I've read some of these, and some I have't; thanks for the re-introduction. :o)

[entropynchaos.livejournal.com]

SS does, indeed, rock like a very amazing thing! ^_^